Such Sweet Hands

Plotting a cross stitch project is really quite satisfying. Working all those sweet little x’s is also satisfying. The last time I did any cross stitch I was about 10 years old, but I remembered how nice it felt to work lots of perfect little cross stitches and I got a craving for it a bit ago. The craving intersected with a new friend’s birthday and here we have the result. Even though the birthday, craving, and motif idea happened back in February I only just sat down to work it up last week.

I now find myself wanting to make more cross stitch pieces based on themes my loved ones like. And that stripey heart motif is too precious not to use again… I’m also considering a little cross stitch memorial to the ‘87 Cabriolet that I loved so dearly and recently said farewell to.

What do I do when I reach the summit of the mountain? (Delivered by gondola of course, not on foot!) Well, I take a little lay down of course! And I’m tellin’ ya it felt like true luxury, lounging there with that amazing view and that spectacular diffused sun. I know it’s harder to breathe at a higher altitude, but that is one great place to just sit and take a deep breath or two.

I didn’t feel confident enough to ride down from there, but next trip I promise I will!

Will bring my crochet hook and yarn up with me next time…

My friend Aaron made this cutie pie birdie at our weekly crafty group meet up last week.  He just learned to crochet a few weeks ago, taught by our friend Tania.  And how did Tania learn to crochet?  From Teach Yourself Visually Crocheting!  She stumbled upon the book in a store and taught herself to crochet long before she even moved here from the east coast and the various connections that brought us to meet, become friends, and craft together weekly even existed…    I think that’s really cool.

After a month long absence, I’ve got some catching up to do!

I’ll start with this photo, taken by myself, of my own hand.  We were sitting in the sun enjoying the view after our friends’ wedding and I have to admit between the henna on my hand and the sparkling sari I didn’t quite recognize myself.  I love that about dressing up!  There are costumes that are intended to cover who you are and misdirect the eye to believe you are someone else, and then there’s dressing up.  In my opinion dressing up is just like it was when we were little girls playing in our mother’s high heels, trying on what we might be or could be if we choose.  Dressing up as yourself, but a different self and trying on that possibility for a bit.

Making a simple useful cloth is one of my favorite things to make in my personal crochet time. I wish to cover my friends and loved ones in blankets and sweaters and toys made by hand, but I simply don’t have the time. I can give anyone I think might enjoy it a pretty little square of handmade cloth to use as a washcloth or a hot pad for holding a hot bowl of soup. Something small and simple to let someone know I want to contribute something comforting, useful, and pretty to her life. . .

I use mine for holding tea mugs and bowls of soup. A good friend recently told me she uses one (the purple one in this photo, to be exact) as a washcloth when she bathes her daughter. She says it’s soft and sturdy and everything you need for a baby’s bath. I feel humbled that this sweet little cloth is an integral part of her daughter’s bath time.

It feels good to sit down and make something so useful and simple. They’re easy to whip up too! I like to bundle the cloth with something else, a package of tea, a fancy soap, etc. You don’t even need gift wrap, just a string or ribbon to tie it up with.

I often use Blue Sky Alpaca Cottons (Dyed or Organic) and Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille. Anything that can stand up to washing and repeated use, as well as creates a nice, useful fabric. If you’re making a washcloth I suggest working with cotton, I bet hemp might be nice for an exfoliating cloth. The texture is part of what makes this useful cloth as sweet as it is useful. Bobbles, stitch patterns full of mixed stitches, anything that creates a crunchy, yummy texture will work. With just a smidge of planning you can pull double duty trying out new stitch patterns and making a useful cloth.

You never know whose daily ritual (be it bath time or tea time) your cloth could become a part of.

I have found the secret, how to transform a simple crocheted sphere ( what will it be or be a part of in the end? will it be part of an amigurumi creature? will one of the cats steal it? there’s just no knowing!) into something as sweet to the fingers as a bonbon of the finest decadent kind is to the mouth? Oh, it simple…

Here sits a humble sphere composed of single crochet stitches, stuffed with ends and stray bits of leftover Koigu from the Larger Than Life Bag. Some yarns are simply too nice and I can’t discard even the shortest strands that are too short to use. Until now I never thought to use these little leftover delicasies as stuffing. I suppose the strands of yarn make for a heavier stuffing. The weight combines with the squish of the plush yarn to make for a little crocheted ball with a bit more substance. I’m not tossing out the bag of fiber-fill in the closet, but now I want to play with other treasured fancy things as stuffing. . . .

Two Sundays in a row we’ve gone to Cha Cha Cha. Last week it was brunch before Felted Circuits class and this week it was early dinner after class. It’s simply one of the yummiest and most satisfying places. And who can refuse decor that is so colorful, with strings of lights and and all sorts of interesting altars. These last two visits we’ve been seated by a new piece in honor of our mayor.  I noticed it makes a lot of people smile…

Breaking from the mold of photos being froma specific date, I’m posting one from last fall because this just came out!

You’ve already seen pictures of the bag here. And it’s predecessor here. And you’ll be hearing more about it later. I’ll be telling you all about every step of making these bags.

This is the “Versatile Wrap Top”. Wear it wrapped in back, wrapped in front. Wrapped snug or drapey and slouchey. Wear it open like a vest… the list goes on. And yeah, there are stringy bits hanging in this photo… This reminds me to finish my own, I really want to wear it!

I love both of these patterns and can’t wait to see folks make and love them too.

I’m constantly amused at how the granny afghan is a staple for setting a cozy, middle American household scene in film and television. Teaching crochet also kept me in with grannies. It doesn’t matter what kind of rep the grannies have had, people never stopped wanting to learn how to make this square. As much as it’s tackier uses has scared others from crochet, it has also continued to bring people to crochet.

So far I’ve only made bags using grannies. And now I have a vision, a blankie for my office. I can see it draped across my chair. It will keep me warm, it will brighten my room. It will clear at least two shelf cubbies worth of yarn! Maybe?

I’ve a ton of Organic and Dyed Cotton from Blue Sky Alpacas as well as quite a bit of Cotton Chenille from Crystal Palace. You may not know this, but these two yarns play beautifully with each other. It’s some kind of interyarncompanyspecies serendipity. This first little square starts off with dyed cotton, the 2nd round is cotton chenille, and the 3rd is organic cotton. Don’t they look made for each other? So I’ve piled up the yarns, I’ve made a few little squarelets, and I’m envisioning the finished blanket.

A fancy 3 course meal with wine pairing…  la dee daaa!

The meal included a fresh crab “salad” with enoki mushrooms and cucumbers.  The most I’ve ever enjoyed crab.  An amuse bouche of Strawberry Gazpacho.  My mouth was amused…  Then there was the soft poached egg served in shell amidst layers of cream and honey.  So soothing and yummy.  Gluttonous dining at it’s most civilized.

And yeah, those little tarts are soooo teeny tiny, but man they were so yummy.  I walked away from that meal totally full, but not stuffed.  Quite satisfying.